TT: The Laundry Room Revisited.

{Note to Reader: I am currently obsessed with my iPhone so all pictures on this blog will be from that source. Until I get over it. Which will be...neh-ver! ;-)}

Yes. I did overhall my mess of a laundry room a few months back. Why do you ask?

Oh, ya...it's a little bit "Here we go again", but whatcha gonna do? That's the life of a Mommy. Let's just concentrate on the small accomplishments for now, shall we?

Before:


Omg! It looks like an episode of "Hoarders", and I've never even watched that show (Yet! I hear it's fabulous). How many rolls of paper towel do we need? And, is that a professional dog grooming dryer?? (Lots. And, yes...another lifetime).

Get to the after! Get to the after! I can't take it!!

Okay....



Ahhh..
Serenity Now.



With storage bins all neatly stacked and labelled no less!!

Why, yes, I DO rock?

Oh, but before I get too comfy...there's still alllllllll the girls extra clothes to go through/sort for sizes/store.




Sigh.

Wish me luck...


For more great tackles go check out 5 Minutes For Mom by clicking the button below.

Thanks!

-- Post From My iPhone

Candid Camera

Hey there!

I just wanted to say that my entry for this week's photo challenge over at I Heart Faces is up now on my photoblog. I'd love for you to check it out. It's a picture of my friend's adorable, adorable, daughter. Trust me...she'll fill you up with cutie-pie happiness if you go take a peak!
:-)

Thanks!
Have a great day!!!!

You Capture: What the Heart Sees

If there are two things I love (I mean, other than my handsome hubby, my darling girls, my cute pets...you know, all that kinda' stuff) it's
1) A photo challenge and
2) My iPhone camera.

The problem is, you can't really win a photo challenge using an iPhone (well, unless someone was having a specific iPhone Photo Challenge...which, by the way, would also be very cool). The picture quality you get off a phone just isn't tha-a-a-t great.

But, there is something about the pictures I get on my iPhone that I just love. There is something about them that is very charming to me. Maybe it is the rough quality of them that reminds me of photos from my childhood. Who knows...but something about them just makes me happy.

Enter the weekly photo challenge held over at I Should Be Folding Laundry! There is no winner for these challenges...it's just for fun...a little something to spark our creative juices. Perfect!

So, if you all don't mind, I would LOVE to participate using just my iPhone. I have a blog for my "real" photos over at Stella B (that's my dog's name...I could NOT think of what else to name my future photo biz! And, I've been struggling with it for weeks!! So, that's it for now). You can head over there if you'd like to check it out. Lots of cute bay-beees... ;-)

Anyway...
here are my entries then for this week's YOU CAPTURE photo challenge which is "Up Close". While these, of course, are not true macro, they are getting in close. And, i have to say that these are actually my very favourite type of photos! I love this because when you get in really, really, close you are forced to include only what really matters to the photo. If you will allow me to get a bit mushy-gushy for a moment...there is nothing else to distract from what your heart sees.


I know, very mushy, but that is how I feel about it, anyway.
And this is a little bit of what my heart sees...








Thanks for stopping by!!!
This was fun.
And Have a Wonderful DAY!

:)

Family Fun Night: Fail

Oh dear...

Well, yes, it's Tuesday. Family Fun Night linky is supposed to be up on Monday, isn't it? My post was supposed to be up on Monday, wasn't it? Not only that...but it's only week 2!! I know. I suck. I'm sorry. But, in my defense {here come the excuses, so please just skip past the next paragraph if you don't want to hear them}...

Maddie got invited to get off the bus at one of her school friend's houses on Friday after school. When she asked me if she could go I said, "But, but, it's Family Fun Night". She said she knew, but that she really wanted to go to her friend's house because ~that~ was going to be really, really, fun, too. What could I do? So, yep, FFN got cancelled in its second week. This does not bode well, at all. The best laid plans...and all of that. But, I have learned an important Mommy lesson (more on that later).

So, we didn't really have a FFN, but we did still have Kidtastic Saturday!! This was Maddie and Jamie's "Jammie Movie Afternoon" as inspired by The Fairy Blogmother (who likes to get together with a few of her buds for a movie at her house...in jammies...once a month). Their first guests, in fact, were the Blogmother's own two sweet kiddos...The Abster and My-Pie.

The girls sent out invitations almost 2 whole weeks prior. They wanted to be sure their friends would be able to make it! We set the time to be from 1-4 pm. I thought this would give them some time to get here, get settled in, chit-chat, then start watching the movie...have some snacks...and then when the movie was over they could just hang out in the newly spruced up (i.e. "cleaned") toy-room for a bit.

Well, everyone was so excited to get right down to the movie! We rented "High School Musical" which my two girls just LOVE. I mean, we have to listen to the soundtrack to this movie in our truck every time we go anywhere, now. It has gotten so that I am singing along with the songs, too, and I know all the words!

So, we got all the kiddos some popcorn and some flavoured waters, dimmed the lights, and started the show....

just about then there was a knock at the door. A little friend from down the street made a pop-in so, I couldn't be a meany, and I invited her in to join the party. Yep, I broke the rule of "1 guest per kid" on week one! So, now I had 6 little girls in the house to take care of. Ah well, no biggie...they'll just all play downstairs together, I thought. Uhhh....no....

The new guest was on the younger-side and she preferred to come upstairs to explore our house and play with the baby toys and wander around. We were trying to get the baby down for her nap, so we kept herding her back down to play with the other girls. Then, the movie was over (I think! I mean, that was fast!!) and they were all heading out the door! We tried to get them to stay in the toy-room, but it was too nice a day outside so that was that! The rest of the party took place out on the front lawn...with me holding a tired and getting cranky baby while trying to make sure none of the little kids got hurt, everyone was sharing and getting turns with the various toys, everyone was staying off the neighbours lawn and well away from the road, no one was riding bikes without helmets, no screaming...all that kind of stuff that makes you want to go kiss your kids' teacher's feet (How do they do it? Gawd love 'em).

So, Kidtastic Saturday didn't go quite how I had imagine, either...but the kids had fun. And, of course, that is the point of all of it and all I really wanted. Ya' gotta go with the flow as a Mommy of three little girls...so that's what I'm going to keep on doing. We'll always do something fun with the girls, every week, but that may be a Kidtastic Saturday, or a Family Fun Friday, or whatever else we can manage. We'll just have to see!

Laptop Lunch Love

We have always been big on reducing the packaging in our girls' lunches. Honestly, this wasn't so much from an environmental point of view as it has been from a health point of view. Generally speaking, packaging tends to = not so healthy. So we always sent the girls to school with "Lock and Lock" containers full of fresh, mostly "clean" foods. Lots of fruits and veggies and whole grain sandwiches. I must admit to feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when I've had their teachers mention to me how great it is that they eat so healthy.



So, this year, with Maddie headed off to grade 2 (and being the very responsible kinda kid that she is) we decided to invest in a Laptop Lunch system for her. I'm not really sure who was more excited about this...her or I?


Now, I say "invested" because they are not cheap. Not at all. But, they are also very well made, and free of all the icky stuff that you don't want lurking in your childs lunch container. They are also all kinds of fun. I love how you can see all your food when you open up the "laptop", I love the little container that is so perfect for dips and dressings, I love how it all fits together perfectly- including fork, spoon, and drink...with a spot for an ice pack and a "lunchbox letter" which her Dad and I take turns leaving for her... Every Day.


Cuz, you know, we love her to pieces.


-- Post From My iPhone

Knowing Me - Knowing You / September

It's time for that monthly interview project know as Knowing Me, Knowing You - hosted by my friend, Shan, a.k.a. The Fairy Blogmother. Here are my answers...why dontcha' share yours, too, and then head on over to Shan's blog and sign Mr. Linky so we can get to know you better. :0)

1. What is your favourite smell?

Oh...that's tough...to pick an absolute favourite. I really like the smell of a wood fire. I also like the smell of a freshly brewed cup of java. Or even just a bag of coffee beans for that matter. And, as soon as the onions and garlic get thrown into a pan of sizzling olive oil...I'm drooling. But, my favourite has got to be the smell of my own whittle baby-one (especially when she is a little sweaty. Is that weird?).

2. Did you/would you/are you co-sleep(ing)?

I, personally (who else would "I" be??), am a huge fan of co-sleeping. Huge. My mom always told me that after I was born she was so afraid I might stop breathing that she kept me in bed with her at night. Maybe that stuck in my head, because from the time my kiddos were yanked out of me...they were staying in bed with me. I slept with them in my tiny hospital bed (well, they slept, I sat there holding them...while sitting up...all night...) and they slept with hubby and I once we got home. My plan was always 4 months in the bed, 2 months in a crib next to the bed, then into their crib, in their bedroom, at 6 months. We stretched that a bit with Colie because, well, she's just so darn cuddly. Hard to give her up when she seemed so at home between us there in her little spot.

Of course, this is just what worked for us. Dave is a light sleeper and I don't move...so the girls were fine there between us. And, just rolling over to feed a baby after she's just whimpered a little bit is so much easier than having to get up and go get her after she's had to cry for a bit on her own. I think it makes for a more secure baby and one that is better able to sleep through the night later on. She has grown up, thus far, knowing we are there for her and we will meet her needs when she needs them met. So, there is no need for a lot of crying or fussing. And...for us...it did work. We've had 3 really excellent sleepers.

Also, I have it in my head that the baby just hearing us breath...somewhere in her brain...triggers something to remind her to breath. That is my theory and I'm sticking to it.

3. Fall fair season is upon us, so what's your favourite fair food?

Huh? I don't think I've ever eaten any food at a fair. I don't think I could even tell you what fair food is. Maybe I just haven't been to enough fairs...? I'm usually so busy hanging out with the baby goats and cows that the rest of my family has to come back for me and drag me away when it's time to get going. I'm not even kidding. There is food at a fair?

4. Thinking about Christmas shopping yet?

Is it December 24th? Then, no.

5. What's your favourite colour?

I'm a bit of a girlie-girl when it comes to colours, I guess...I love pink and lavender. I am also a huge fan of a greeny-blue. We used to have this chemical that went into one of our chemistry machines at work that was this beautiful, beautiful, greeny-blue. That chemical is one of my favourite colours.

So...there ya' go. Getting to know me a bit better...and getting more and more scared all the time, huh? ;-)

And now...because every post is better with a picture...

here is Jamie and I...right here, right now!

(I've got Pinky tethered to run my laptop. Pretty cool, huh?)

Now let's get to know you! Head over to Shan's site now!!!

Family Fun Night - So Long Summer

Wa-Hooo! It's time for my first EVER, official, Family Fun Night post!! We had so much fun here at the MP's house and I am just so excited to see what you did with last week's theme...


"So Long Summer".

Here's our take on the theme...

Well, summer is the only time for Drive-In movies in these here parts, so we gave the girls something a little similar...a "Driv-ing Movie". Thanks to Davey for sitting at Starbucks on his extended lunch-break to download "Hannah Montana" for the girls. They were thrilled to be able to watch a movie on the iPhone while driving around in the truck.



When we were finished with our errands we came home and the girls and I made Rice Crispy Treat "Burgers". These were disgustingly sweet to eat, but fun to make (recipe to follow). We had our "burgers" for dessert out in the living room picnic style - complete with sunflowers (the flowers were from Davey's Birthday, but made a lovely centerpiece for our picnic blanket).








Once we were done our indoor picnic it was time for some summer-time fun. We had indoor wheel-barrell races and potato sac races. Colie wanted to get in on that fun, so Davey ran her across the finish line. She was so excited! Funny!





Then, as bedtime came (and went), we finished up our last activity: time capsules! The girls each had a can to decorate for their capsule and inside the can we put a piece of string that we used to measure their height, an outline of their hand and foot prints, a completed questionnaire, a photo , and a drawing.


We'll put the cans aside until next year -- when it becomes time to say "So Long" to "Summer" once more, and we'll see how much the girls have changed. Time sure flies. I was so glad to get this last activity done because it will be a great momento of our first ever, super fun, Family Fun Night!!!

If you didn't get a chance to play along last week...
I really hope you'll be able to play this week.
You can hold your Family Fun Night on any night of the week that it is convenient for you and your family.
Mr. Linky will go up again next Monday for this week's theme....

"Back To School"!!

{As a side note--this is also the theme this week at I Heart Faces -- so if you capture any great back to school photos be sure to enter them over there}. ;-)

Thanks!!!

***If you are joining up to Mr. Linky below, please be sure to leave the link to your Family Fun Night post ONLY. Do not leave a link just to your main blog, or I'll have to take your link down. We want to see what you did for Family Fun Night!! Thanks again!***

Family Fun Night!

It's Family Fun Night here at The Mommy Project's house! This week's theme is "So Long Summer" and I've got a few ideas for celebrating our (almost over) summer-time before my oldest heads back to school on Tuesday.

Are you playing along with your family? It's not too late!! Mr. Linky will be going up on Monday for you to share your Family Fun Ideas - so you still have all weekend!

So, have fun! Hug a kid! Kiss a spouse! Pet a pet! And I'll see ya on Monday!!!



-- Post From My iPhone

Starting them young...

Well, Tim Hortons coffee ~is~ good.

-- Post From My iPhone

You Are Invited!!!

Hey! I just got word that The Blogmother is game for playing along in this, the first week of, "Family Fun Night"! So exciting to have her play along because she is one of the most creative Moms I know. I am really looking forward to not only playing with my own family, but to seeing what she (and hopefully You) comes up with to do with hers.

So, in case you missed it - here are the details:

*FFN* will happen once a week and each week will have it's own theme. It's great if you can come up with related
1) Food
2) Decor and
3) Activity
to tie into the theme.

It doesn't really matter when in the week you play (whatever works best for you and your family), but the Mr. Linky for you to share your version of each week's theme will always go up on the following Monday morning.

So, this week's theme is "So Long Summer" and we will be sharing what we did on this Monday September 7th.

Have fun and I hope to see you then!



-- Post From My iPhone

Tackle It Tuesday: The Toy Room Edition.

I haven't done one of these posts in awhile...

and, sadly, my house shows it! Seems like the most I can ever get gone is "maintenance" kind of cleaning. You know, clean the bathrooms, vacuum the floors, do 20 loads of laundry a day, pick up kids' stuff off the floor...pick up more kids' stuff off the floor...and then, for a change of pace, pick up some more kids' stuff off the floor. This keeps the main areas of the house looking pretty okay. But, those "non-main" areas tend to get terribly neglected and before you know it, it looks like a V.V. has thrown up in your laundry room. But, I can't think about my laundry room right now. I must focus on the small victories to keep me going...

This latest victory is the Toy Room. The girls and their friends managed to put a lot of team effort into completely destroying it at the very beginning of the summer. And, I just have not had the time, energy, or inclination to get it cleaned up since then. So it sat. One helluva big mess. All summer.

But, as you know I have big plans for this school year - including Jammie Afternoon Saturdays when each of my girls (except Colie...she'll just have to hang out with her Mommy and Daddy 'til she gets a bit bigger) gets to invite one friend (that is "one" friend) over for an afternoon of snacks, and a movie, and some play-date time (Oh, how I love the play-date vs. the "someones banging at the door, can I get it?" It will be so nice to have a (small) hand in just who the girls will be spending (at least some of) their time with again {Is that awful?}.

So, anyway, this desire for a weekend Play-Date precipitated my need to tackle that nasty Toy Room once and for all. And, btw, those before pictures do not do the situation justice. Much like an iceberg the real trouble lies where you can't even see it...like under the futon, in the closets, in all the play bins, in the t.v. stand...you know what I mean.

It took 3 afternoons (in the little chunks of time baby-one would allow me), 2 bags of garbage, 2 boxes of old toys to be donated, 2 baskets of laundry (why were the girls leaving their clothes in the Toy Room?), and a lot of patience. And...

Ta-DAH!!

Now we are ready and the first invitations will be sent shorty (BlogMother's children...you know who you are...we are thinking of not this weekend but next, now, since I believe you will be at your Grandma's and it is the last weekend of the summer...so we'll probably do something else fun with the girls this Saturday)!

I can't wait!!!

{I think the girls, and Bun Bun, are pretty happy about it all, too}.

For More Tackle It Tuesday Posts go right HERE! Have a Great Day!!! :0)

And this is why...

We need a dog run.
I'm so glad I got a picture if it first. Jamie is going to be so mad.





-- Post From My iPhoneo